Dona Paula

Dona Paula is a former village, and tourist destination, in the suburbs of Panaji, Goa, India.It is today home to the National Institute of Oceanography, and just alongside it lie the Goa University and the International Centre Goa. It is also home to a number of hotels, small and large, and the luxury Cidade de Goa is situated in the area.

With full of romance in the air, the Dona Paula beach is quite bustling with plenty of activities round the year. Located 7 kms away from the Panaji, this beach has become one of the most happening beaches of the Goa. It is snuggled on the southern part of the rocky headland where the Mandovi and the Zuari rivers meet the Arabian Sea. The beach is very popular as lovers paradise because of a myth attached to this place. As per the legend, Viceroy's daughter Dona Paula de Menezes jumped off the cliff after facing objections from her family due to her love affair with a son of a fisherman. So, the beach is popular by the name of Dona Paula. It's a lover's paradise that offers a splendid view of the Mormugao harbor and fringed by casuarinas woods & palm trees.

Relish the wonderful view from above the hillock and relax in benches along with taking pleasure of the evening sea breeze and sunset. This place attracts its tourists who come to wonder at its natural beauty, pristine beach and the romantic legend connected with it. The dainty coastline of the beach is long stretches of silver white sand that has superb view of the beachfront. If you want to choose some local knick-knacks, wander to the beachside stalls that offer excellent ranges of straw hats, handkerchiefs, feni, port wine, etc. Other than this, there are also some seafood restaurants near the beach where you can have your lunch and relax after a day of sunbathing. In short, the beach is a mix and match of adventurous water sports, romance and sparkling nightlife.

History

The place is named after Paula Amaral Antonio de Souto Maior, a historical figure in Portuguese India. She was the daughter of the Portuguese Viceroy of Jaffnapatnam, in Sri Lanka. She and her family arrived in Goa in 1644 and she married a Fidalgo from Spain in 1656. Her husband was Dom Antonio Souto Maior. They were an extremely affluent family, and the entire property from the present day Cabo Raj Nivas all the way to Caranzalem belonged to the Souto Maior's. She died on December 21, 1682 .

Dona Paula was a woman of charity and is known to have helped the villagers and worked a lot for their betterment, so after her death, the villagers decided to rename the village as Dona Paula. Initially the village was called Oddavell.

The Dona Paula Beach is also a major tourist attraction. According to a local myth, Dona Paula entombed in the Cabo Chapel, the residence of the Governor of Goa and is supposed to be seen emerging from the moonlit waves wearing only a pearl necklace. Several tourists as well as locals guided by this myth visit the beach for a glimpse of Dona Paula. The Cabo Raj Bhavan is situated at a scenic spot of Dona Paula. It is also home of a historic British war-graves cemetery. After the end of Portuguese rule in Goa in 1961, Dona Paula became a fashionable residential area and address.